Letters to the Editor

Education must note gender gap

8/23/2013

Marilou Johanek’s Aug. 10 op-ed column, “Mom turns filmmaker to get education system to re-examine itself,” about education and the film Race to Nowhere by Vicki Abeles was excellent. But there was an element of education missing: the need to recognize that there is a gap between girls and boys in their physical and mental growth during their early learning stages.

Boys and girls have been taught the same way, with the same books, at the same time, and with the same expectations. Because girls mature sooner than boys, girls will outperform boys.

The educational world must understand this, and readjust curriculum and teaching techniques to eliminate the gender gap.

In response to your Aug. 11 article “Divided GOP tries to sort out its future; Split could lead to repeat of 1964”: There are three conservative disciplines that seek prominence: traditional Republicans, libertarians, and the Tea Party.

Libertarians and Tea Party members are like parasites on the Republican Party, because they have little in common with Reagan Republicans. Libertarians have found third-party politics untenable, which is why Ron Paul and his son Rand have run on Republican ballots.

No matter the politics or ideologies of these groups, they are venting their disdain of government while trying to win positions in Washington where they will take an oath to uphold the government they seek to dispose of.

JEFF PITZEN

Northwood

Electric vehicles a blast to drive

The July 28 Readers’ Forum letter “Electric cars not energy panacea” called electric vehicles “poorly conceived” and suggested that no thought has been given to their effects on our power grid. That is incorrect.

The American Electric Power Web site notes that electric vehicles are less expensive to run than their gasoline-engine equivalents. Electric vehicles that use coal-generated electricity have a smaller carbon footprint than internal-combustion vehicles.

I have a Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle that is charged with power from AEP’s wind-generation program.

The letter writer is correct about the electric vehicle’s feel-good concept. When I drive past gasoline stations for weeks at a time, or when I have to use gasoline and still get more than 100 miles a gallon, I do feel good about my electric vehicle.

THOMAS COLLINS

Garrettsville, Ohio

Sounds like racial profiling practiced

The writer of the Aug. 13 Readers’ Forum letter “Collins defended on racial profiling” said: “The Police Department uses offender or criminal profiling that encompasses many factors, including dress, interactions, and associations. Race is just one included factor.”

If race is an included factor, how is that different from profiling?

WILLIAM BURKHARDT

Heatherdowns Boulevard

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